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SATURN
BUILDING ON A 10-YEAR TRADITION OF
INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER FOCUS
When it unveiled its first cars in Miami just 10 years ago, Saturn introduced
more than a new small coupe and sedan. It also began a quiet revolution that
continues to reshape the ways cars are designed, built, sold and serviced.
As Saturn enters its second decade in the market, the company has an
aggressive program to expand its product portfolio and build on its heritage of
customer-focused innovation.
GROWING THE SATURN BRAND
Saturn was created to offer an American-made alternative to popular imports,
and to bring new customers to the General Motors family. Saturn continues to
attract new customers to GM. Nearly four out of five Saturn customers say they
would have bought or leased a non-GM vehicle had Saturn not been available. Over
half say they would have chosen an import brand.
To further build on this success, Saturn is embarking on a multi-year program
to expand its product lineup with a portfolio of innovative larger vehicles and
to refine its award-winning retail network.
Saturn is moving into market segments that provide both growth potential and
a logical step-up for over two million current Saturn customers. In 1999, Saturn
added the midsize L-Series sedan and wagon. The all-new Saturn SUV will follow
the L-Series just two years later. The company is continuing to study other new
market segments as it plans for additional growth.
Saturn and General Motors are investing heavily in this future. In April
2000, General Motors announced a $1.5 billion dollar investment in Saturn's
Spring Hill, Tenn. facility. This investment includes new tooling for the SUV
and next-generation small car and modifications to allow cars and trucks to be
built on a split line. It also includes an addition to the Spring Hill
powertrain facility for production of the 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine that
will be used in the SUV.
Saturn continues to expand its retail network. Saturn expects to add 25
additional retail facilities this year and next. At the same time, many of the
original Saturn facilities are being updated to a new retail environment design,
known as RED (Retail Environmental Design) II, that will keep these stores
looking fresh and attractive.
CONTINUING TO CREATE - FOR THE CUSTOMER
Innovation has been the soul of Saturn from the beginning. Saturn was created
to find both new ways to build cars and new ways to build relationships with
customers. The Saturn SUV is proof that this spirit of creativity is as strong
as ever.
For the Saturn SUV, engineers created an entirely new vehicle architecture,
one that combines the features that customers love about an SUV with the
smoother ride and responsive handling more often associated with a midsize
performance sedan. The goal was to hit a sweet spot in the rapidly changing
territory that lies between traditional trucks and cars.
The SUV offers customers a number of innovative product features, many of
which are not offered on competitive vehicles. They include:
- Dent-resistant polymer bodyside panels, which help keep Saturn vehicles
looking newer, longer.
- Space frame construction, which provides a welded steel safety cage around
the passenger compartment along with front and rear crumple zones to help
absorb the impact of a crash.
- A continuously-variable transmission (CVT), available with the
138-horsepower twin-cam four-cylinder engine, that offers smooth performance
and enhanced fuel economy.
- All-wheel-drive, which provides improved traction in inclement weather,
yet is so compact it allows a flat floor in the interior of the vehicle.
- Four-wheel independent suspension that provides responsive handling and a
controlled ride on a wide range of road surfaces.
- Electrically-assisted power steering, which provides assist on demand. It
allows easy maneuvering and parking around town while consuming less fuel
than traditional hydraulic systems.
- Head-curtain side air bags, which can help reduce head and neck injuries
in certain side-impact collisions.
- Car-height bumpers, along with a spare tire mounted inside the vehicle,
under the load floor. Together, these significantly reduce potential damage
during parking lot collisions.
- A versatile interior, with a 70/30 folding rear seat and fold-flat front
passenger seatback. Seatbacks and other major functions are designed for
easy one-step, one-hand operation.
The way the Saturn SUV will be built is just as innovative as the way it is
engineered. The Saturn SUV will be built alongside Saturn S-Series vehicles in
Spring Hill, Tenn., on a specially constructed split line that allows both cars
and trucks to be built in the same facility.
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